Violence: Fubara orders probe, Wike alleges disobedience to court orders

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has inaugurated a seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the arson, killings and destruction of property at various Local Government Council Headquarters in the state.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, on Tuesday.

Fubara inaugurated the commission at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The commission, which has one month to conclude its assignment, has Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri as chairman, Mrs. Inyingi Brown as secretary and Uzor Ikenga as counsel. The other members are Felicia Nwoke, Prof. Blessing Didia, Sir Samuel Egbe and Venerable Alex Usifor.

The Governor said the burning of Local Government Councils’ secretariats on Monday seemed like a repeat of 2014, during the buildup to the General Elections of 2015, when courts were set ablaze, residences bombed and people killed, leading to the closure of courts in Rivers State.

He added that his administration would not look away while ill-guided youths and sponsored political thugs turned the state into a theatre of violence without being made to pay for such crimes against the state. He said, “I have decided to take this action to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson, most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to book.

“So, this assignment is very important. It is an assignment that, if it is not done rightly, would give the enemies of this state the opportunity to continue.

“And if we are right, it is going to be the end of further destruction of public property in the state. I know it is going to be very tasking. I can assure you that there will be threats, but you have to be strong,” he told the members of the commission. Governor Fubara stated that it was long overdue to inaugurate the commission of inquiry following incidents since his administration came on board.

Fubara stated, “It has become very clear that rather than getting close to the path of peace, this state is gradually turning into a kingdom where law and order is no longer the order of the day. And we cannot fold our hands and allow such thing to happen.

“On the 5th of October, 2024, about four days ago, we had an election in this state. Before the election, we also heard from a lot of quarters, songs of war, (and) threats but we never took them seriously because we believed that a local government election is a prerogative of the state government. It has nothing to do with anybody anywhere that is outside the confinement of our state. “And for that reason, we believed strongly that whatever it is, we could manage it to produce the purpose of that election. But it is very unfortunate that after the election, even while the election was going on, several things happened, which we managed, thinking it was going to end there.

“The day after the election, there were more threats from people, and we also thought it was just a normal threat, believing that it was not going to be out of hand but it did.”

Fubara urged members of the commission to work with the mindset of actualising the purpose of the assignment, noting that history would not forget the responsibility given to them.

He also outlined the terms of reference of the assignment, saying that they must “determine the underlying causes of the violence and identify the individuals or groups responsible for the attacks on some Local Government Council Headquarters and the harm caused to citizens.

“Evaluate the extent of damage to property, infrastructure, and human lives and estimate the financial losses incurred.

“Examine whether the violence was politically motivated, and if so, identify the key players and their roles in instigating the violence.

“Assess the effectiveness of the security agencies’ response to the violence and identify areas for improvement. “Investigate the actions of individuals and groups involved in the violence in the face of the relevant laws, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, etc.

“Advise on adequate compensation and support for victims and their families, as well as measures to prevent future occurrences.

“Make recommendations on long-term strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future, including recommendations for policy reforms, community engagement, and conflict resolution mechanisms.

“Recommend appropriate sanctions for individuals and groups found culpable.

“Make other relevant recommendations in light of its findings which the commission may consider appropriate,” and also mandated the commission to submit its report within “one month.”

Earlier, Fubara stated that his administration would not watch sponsored political thugs run berserk in the state. He assured that working with the Nigerian Police Force and the Directorate of State Services, measures would be taken to unravel those behind the burning of secretariats at Ikwerre, Emohua and Eleme Local Government Areas.

He gave the assurance while swearing in four new commissioners – Israel Ngbuelu, Evans Bipi, Otamiri Ngubo and Benibo Anabraba – into the Rivers State Executive Council at Government House in Port Harcourt.

He said, “I said it before it happened. I knew because they were unhappy, they would go extra miles to create disaffection in the minds and hearts of the good people of Rivers State.

“We want to also let the people know that what has happened (arson) after the election, we are not going to allow it to go uninvestigated. “A similar event had happened in this manner before, and after some weeks, some of our supporters were declared wanted in order to turn the story around.

“But this time around, I strongly believe, with the support and cooperation of the Nigerian Police and the Directorate of State Services, we will unravel those behind the assault and make sure that they account for their atrocities.”

Speaking further, the Governor added, “As your leader; the one steering the ship, I assure you I will not mislead anyone of you. I still stand on the path of peace. We have cases of arson in some local government areas.

“But, I appreciate your calmness. I have always maintained that we are going to be the greatest losers, if we meet them force-for-force. We need to go with peace.

“So, I will encourage everyone of you not to follow them with violence. We are carrying a basket of precious eggs in our hands. So, we need to follow them with carefulness and wisdom.”

Wike's Reaction

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Tuesday, FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, accused Fubara of being the mastermind behind the violence that erupted after Saturday’s LG polls.

Wike supported Fubara’s candidacy to succeed him as governor. However, shortly after Fubara took office, the two men found themselves in conflict over control of the state’s political structure.

The crisis between both political heavyweights is viewed as reason for the political divisions and animosity that has plagued the state since Fubara’s emergence as the state’s helmsman.

The battle for the control of the state heightened October last year, culminating in an attempted impeachment of Fubara.

Wike said, “There is no decent person who would say that he wants to support violence and destruction, nor would he say that he does not want to support people living in harmony.

“However, when there is crisis, violence, and instability, it is your responsibility to ask what led to the violence. Our state is becoming one where people do not obey the rule of law.

Source: https://punchng.com/violence-fubara-orders-probe-wike-alleges-disobedience-to-court-orders/